Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz steel plant
From Global Energy Monitor
| This article is part of the Global Iron and Steel Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz steel plant, also known as Donawitz Steelworks, is a steel plant in Leoben, Steiermark, Austria that operates electric arc furnace (EAF), basic oxygen furnace (BOF), blast furnace (BF), and direct reduced iron (DRI) technology.
Location
The map below shows the exact location of the plant in Leoben, Steiermark, Austria:
- Location: Kerpelystraße 199, 8700 Leoben, Austria
- Coordinates (WGS 84): 47.380455, 15.065182 (exact)
Background
The Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz steel plant began operating in 1878, with the history of the plant tracing back to the first hammer mills in Leoben that were established in 1436. In 1878, the construction of the Donawitz-Vordernberg railway line nearby created demand for steel and the plant was erected, with more units and ovens being added on through the years.[1]
In 1991, the Donawitz site split into three separate companies; in 1995, voestalpine had its initial public offering and purchased the site.[1]
In 2007, voestalpine completed the addition of a debris water plant, and in 2008, a captive power plant began operating onsite to power the plant's operations.[1]
In 2017, voestalpine announced it would be investing $114m in various equipment at the Donawitz plant yet no updates on these investments were publicly available.[2]
The plant is known for its low number of onsite employees; in 2017 several articles were published regarding how the plant only needed 14 people to make 500,000 tons of robust steel wire a year.[3][4]
The plant is listed as "Sinteranl., Hochöfen, Stahlwerk Donawitz" in a Sandbag report (link unknown), meaning "Sinter plant, blast furnaces, steelworks Donawitz," meaning it could have a sinter plant as well.
Transition
In March 2023 the company approved a EUR 1.5 billion investment to transition the plant away from BF-BOF production by building an EAF with 850ttpa steelmaking capacity. The EAF, along with another at the company's Linz plant, is expected to be commissioned in 2027. The company also announced that it will be decommissioning two blast furnaces, one each at the two plants in this expansion cycle and two more by 2030.[5]
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Low-emissions/green steelmaking
This steel plant is associated with a green steel project tracked in the Green Steel Tracker. Details about the project are included below.
Table 1: Green Steel Project Details
| Project 1 | Project 2 | Project 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project name | Voestalpine SuSteel Donawitz | Voestalpine HYFOR | Voestalpine Greentec Steel Donawitz |
| Company | voestalpine Group | voestalpine Group | voestalpine Group |
| Company has climate goals? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Location | Donawitz, Austria | Donawitz, Austria | Donawitz, Austria |
| Project website | Site | Site | Site |
| Project scale | Pilot | Pilot | Full scale |
| Project status | Finalized (research & testing) | Finalized (research & testing) | Construction |
| Year to be online | 2021 | – | – |
| Technology to be used | ESR | H-DRI | BF-BOF to EAF |
| Technology details | Hydrogen plasma smelting reduction | H-DRI + Hy4Smelt (not conventional EAF) | EAF using HBI and scrap |
| Iron production capacity (million tonnes per year) | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
| Steel production capacity (million tonnes per year) | Not applicable | Not applicable | 0 |
| CO2 capture (million tonnes CO2 per year) | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Hydrogen generation capacity (MW) | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Investment size (m USD) | Not stated | Not stated | 806.055 |
| Actual start year | 2021 | 2021 | – |
| Partners | K1-MET GmbH, University of Leoben | Mitsubishi Heavy, Primetals Technologies, Fortescue, K1Met, Universita del salento | – |
| Date of announcement | 9/1/2016 | 12/28/2020 | 3/22/2023 |
Plant Details
Table 2: General Plant Details
| Start date | Workforce size | Power source |
|---|---|---|
| 1878[6] | 1356[7] | Captive power plant[8] |
Table 3: Ownership and Parent Company Information
| Parent company | Parent company PermID | Parent GEM entity ID | Owner | Owner company PermID | Owner GEM entity ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voestalpine AG [100.0%] | 4295858976 [100.0%] | E100000000031 [100.0%] | Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH [100%][9] | 5000038424 | E100000130917 [100%] |
Table 4: Process and Products
| Steel product category | Steel products | ISO 14001 | ISO 50001 | Main production equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| semi-finished, finished rolled[10] | galvanized, strip, coated[10] | 2023-10-17[11] | 2023-10-17[11] | BF; DRI; EAF; BOF |
Table 5: Plant-level Crude Steel Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Basic oxygen furnace steelmaking capacity | Electric arc furnace steelmaking capacity | Nominal crude steel capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| construction | – | 1700[12][13] | 1700[12][13] |
| operating | 720[14] | – | 720[14] |
| operating pre-retirement | 850[15] | – | 850[15] |
Table 6: Plant-level Crude Iron Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Capacity operating status1 | Blast furnace capacity | Sponge iron/DRI capacity | Nominal iron capacity (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| operating | 825[16] | 1[17] | 826[16][17] |
| operating pre-retirement | 825[16] | – | 825[16] |
Table 7: Upstream Products Production Capacities (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Ferronickel | Sinter | Coke | Pellets |
|---|---|---|---|
| NF[14] | 1700[16] | NF | NF |
Table 8: Actual Plant-level Crude Steel Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BOF production | Other/unknown steel production | Total (all routes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | unknown | unknown | – |
| 2020 | 1390[18] | unknown[18] | 1390[18] |
| 2021 | 1638[18] | unknown[18] | 1638[18] |
| 2022 | 1556[18] | unknown[18] | 1556[18] |
| 2023 | 1473[18] | –[18] | 1473[18] |
| 2024 | 1473[18] | –[18] | 1473[18] |
Table 9: Actual Plant-level Crude Iron Production by Year (thousand tonnes per annum)
| Year | BF production | Other/unknown iron production |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | unknown | unknown |
| 2020 | unknown | unknown |
| 2021 | unknown | unknown |
| 2022 | unknown | unknown |
| 2023 | – | – |
| 2024 | – | – |
Unit Details
Table 10: Blast Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Retired date | Furnace manufacturer and model | Current size | Current capacity (ttpa) | Decarbonization technology | Most recent relining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF 1 | operating[19] | – | – | Siemens VAI; Saint-Gobain (parts) Siemens VAI Blast Furnace Design[20][21][21] | 1205.0 m3[21] | 825[16] | unknown | 2018-09-25[22] |
| BF 4 | operating pre-retirement[12] | 1941[6] | 2027[12] | Siemens VAI; Paul Wurth (parts); Saint-Gobain (parts) Siemens VAI Blast Furnace Design[20][23][21][21] | 1343.0 m3[21] | 825[16] | unknown | 2016[24] |
Table 11: Direct Reduced Iron Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Furnace manufacturer and model | Furnace type | Current capacity (ttpa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRI Hyfor | operating[17] | 2024[25] | Primetals[17] | shaft furnace[17] | 1[17] |
Table 12: Direct Reduced Iron Furnace Reductant Details
| Unit name | Current or initial reductant | Gas reductant |
|---|---|---|
| DRI Hyfor | gas[17] | hydrogen[17] |
Table 13: Electric Arc Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Announced date | Construction date | Start date | Furnace manufacturer and model | Current capacity (ttpa) | Current size (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unknown EAF (1) | construction[26] | 2023[12] | 2024[27] | 2027[27] | Danieli Digimelter[13][13] | 850[12][13] | 65.0[28][12] |
| unknown EAF (2) | construction[26] | 2023[12] | 2023-09[26] | 2027[12] | Danieli Digimelter[13][13] | 850[12][13] | 65.0[28] |
Table 14: Electric Arc Furnace Feedstock Details
| Unit name | Scrap-based | % scrap | % HBI | % basic/merchant pig iron | % pig iron (unknown if basic/merchant or granulated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unknown EAF (1) | yes[27] | >0[27] | >0[27] | >0[27] | – |
| unknown EAF (2) | yes[27] | >0[27] | >0[27] | – | >0[27] |
Table 15: Basic Oxygen Furnace Details
| Unit name | Status | Start date | Retired date | Furnace manufacturer and model | Current capacity (ttpa) | Current size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOF 4 | operating[29][12] | 2025[29] | – | Primetals[29] | 720[14] | 67.0 tonnes[29][30] |
| unknown BOF (1) | operating pre-retirement[12] | – | 2027[12] | – | 850[15] | 65.0 tonnes[30] |
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Iron and Steel Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "History". Voestalpine. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ↑ Tanatar, Maria (2017-07-12). "Voestalpine to invest $114m in projects at Donawitz plant in Austria | Metal Bulletin.com". MetalBulletin. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "How Just 14 People Make 500,000 Tons of Steel a Year in Austria". Bloomberg. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ↑ Grossman, David (2017-06-22). "Highly-Automated Austrian Steel Mill Only Needs 14 People". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ↑ "voestalpine Board OKs EUR1.5 Billion EAF Installation". AIST. 3/22/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220113195420/https://www.voestalpine.com/stahldonawitz/en/company/history/. Archived from the original on 2022-01-13.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220204142750/https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.voestalpine_stahl_donawitz_gmbh.5afb3cc4643c115af0c46e8b16f091f1.html. Archived from the original on 2022-02-04.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220124104905/https://reports.voestalpine.com/1819/ar/servicepages/search.php?q. Archived from the original on 2022-01-24.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240125061324/https://www.voestalpine.com/stahldonawitz/en/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220125075939/https://www.voestalpine.com/stahl/en/Companies/voestalpine-Stahl-GmbH/Products. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240207181340/https://www.voestalpine.com/stahldonawitz/static/sites/stahldonawitz/.downloads/en/VASD_Zertifikat-ISO-9001-14001-45001_50001_engl_2023-2026.PDF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-02-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 https://www.aist.org/news/steel-news/2023/march/20-24-march-2023/voestalpine-board-oks-eur1-5-billion-eaf-installat.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 https://web.archive.org/web/20240218081439/https://www.seaisi.org/details/23617?type=news-rooms. Archived from the original on 2024-02-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20220319021812/https://www.eurofer.eu/about-steel/learn-about-steel/where-is-steel-made-in-europe/. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/voestalpine-gets-approval-for-15-billion-investment-in-two-eafs-1283698.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 https://web.archive.org/web/20220518024156/https://www.voestalpine.com/stahldonawitz/en/products-and-technologies/production/pig-iron-production/. Archived from the original on 2022-05-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 "HYFOR pilot plant under operation – the next step for carbon free, hydrogen-based direct reduction is done". www.primetals.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 https://gmk.center/en/news/austria-produced-7-1-million-tons-of-steel-in-2024/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220620185950/https://lug-info.com/news/alchevskij-metallurgicheskij-kombinat-zapustil-v-rabotu-vtoruyu-domennuyu-pech-investor-16342864667599. Archived from the original on 2022-06-20.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 20.0 20.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221128015619/https://www.ceramicsrefractories.saint-gobain.com/sites/hps-mac3-cma-pcr/files/assetbank_media/Iron---Steel-Blast-Furnace-brochure-2022-web-2274441.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-11-28.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 https://abmproceedings.com.br/en/article/download-pdf/advanced-stoves-operation-with-simetal-bf-vairon.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220703022128/https://www.voestalpine.com/blog/en/career/working-environments/blast-furnace-1-in-donawitz-temporary-relining-successful-thanks-to-outstanding-commitment-and-teamwork/. Archived from the original on 2022-07-03.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220929093913/https://www.paulwurth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Brochure-Refractory-and-Engineering-Hot-Blast-Stoves-en.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-09-29.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240110003605/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/srin.202000227. Archived from the original on 2024-01-10.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "greentec steel: landmark melting at voestalpine site Donawitz - voestalpine". www.voestalpine.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 https://www.aist.org/news/steel-news/2023/september-2023/11-15-september-2023/voestalpine-embarks-upon-a-new-era-in-steelmaking.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 27.00 27.01 27.02 27.03 27.04 27.05 27.06 27.07 27.08 27.09 https://web.archive.org/web/20240905165036/https://www.voestalpine.com/group/en/media/press-releases/2023-09-13-groundbreaking-ceremony-in-donawitz-for-austrias-largest-climate-protection-program/. Archived from the original on 2024-09-05.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Systems Spray-Cooled Receives Order from Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A. for Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz". 2024-10-25. Archived from the original on 2026-04-24. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 https://www.aist.org/primetals-technologies-modernizes-voestalpine-basic-oxygen-furnace.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Steel Production - voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH". www.voestalpine.com. Archived from the original on 2026-04-24. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
